TRUCK DRIVER’S MIRACLE ESCAPE ON UK MOTORWAY
A NEW ROSS truck driver had a miraculous escape on Saturday when he survived a bridge collapsing on his cab.
The family man, who is a Polish national who has been living in New Ross for over a decade, was driving a truck owned by Peter and Damien Foley of P&D Transport Ltd, Boderan, Ramsgrange, on the M20 at Kent in England when the footbridge collapsed.
Damien Foley said: ‘Our truck was underneath the bridge when it collapsed after it was hit by a lorry carrying a digger. Our truck was overtaking the lorry at the time. The bridge broke and it tumbled down over our truck.
‘ Thank God he wasn’t hurt. It was a miracle. He was on the inside and we were overtaking him when he hit the bridge it collapsed. He is a family man. Thankfully people in two other cars who were overtaking the truck at the time were also uninjured.’
Mr Foley said the driver was left in a state of total shock from the bridge collapse and was trated by paramedics at the scene: ‘He is back in New Ross with his family. It was a horrific experience. We’re in business since 2000 and I’ve never heard of anything like this.’
The driver was travelling at around 88 km/h on the London-bound carriageway when the impact occurred. He stopped 12 metres later, having slammed on the brakes.
P&D Transport Ltd has trucks travelling on the same route daily. ‘We have 50 trucks delivering cargo every day. The truck was destroyed. It was taken to a nearby compound. It will all go through the other driver’s insurance.’
The bridge collapse lead to traffic chaos on the M20 with 15 mile tailbacks. Two large cranes worked to clear the road, which is the main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover.
The crash and closure of the motorway happened on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Tourists and lorry drivers missed ferries.
Part of the bridge fell on to a second lorry, the driver of which was treated for shock at the scene. A motorcyclist in his fifties was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs.
No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.